Adjusting
by often-astray
Summary: Sequel to Harry the Hedgehog... Harry and Draco hit a bump in their friendship.


**Title:** Adjusting  
><strong>Rating:<strong> G  
><strong>Genre:<strong> Friendship, Pre-slash  
><strong>Pairing:<strong> Harry, Draco  
><strong>Words:<strong> ~680  
><strong>Warning:<strong> Overdose of cuteness XD  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Harry Potter is owned by JKR + affiliates  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Harry and Draco hit a bump in their friendship.  
><strong>Notes:<strong> A continuation of Harry the Hedgehog. A little short because I 'e-mailed' it to myself from bbsitting (kids woke up) and I have a b-day prompt to write, but hopefully I'll be back to hedgehog!Harry soon. I'm getting more and more ideas!

* * *

><p>For a few days Harry and Draco played in the garden. Draco would bring him berries and water for breakfast and while he ate Draco would pet him. He was always very careful to move slowly so he wouldn't hurt his hand on the needle-sharp quills.<p>

Draco had brought his normal treats and was chatting away.

"I looked you up in the library and some book said that you're a European Hedgehog. It also said that you mostly eat bugs, but I'm not going to get those for you since it's important for you to be self-sufficient." He said all this as if he were repeating what he had learned by memory. Harry didn't really pay much attention, and these blueberries were _so good_!

The hand on his back slowly petted him from his neck and down his back, over and over. Harry guessed that they moved easily when he wasn't tense, and if Draco was careful then Harry wasn't going to stop him.

But then it happened. Harry heard another loud squawking noise like on his first day in the gardens, closer than he's ever heard it, and Harry startled. He felt his reaction in slow motion, it seemed. His skin immediately tensed and the quills on his back became more stiff. Some of the spines on his head came down to cover his eyes and he made a clicking noise in the back of his throat, a keh-keh-keh sound that Harry didn't even know he could make.

Draco cried out in surprise and snatched his hand from Harry's back. The boy-turned-hedgehog slowly revealed his eyes and he could see Draco holding his hand gently. He looked at Harry with tears in his eyes before running away.

Harry felt horrible for the way he had reacted to the sudden noise. This was definitely going to make Draco hate him, just like the Dursleys did.

...

Now Harry was looking for his dinner and generally moping about. He couldn't believe he had ruined everything because he had been _scared._ He could stand up to Uncle Vernon but a stupid loud noise made him jump?

All of a sudden he could smell Draco and he turned in a tight circle to stare as the boy sat cross-legged in front of him.

"Sorry about running off like that, I was bleeding you know. When I showed Mother she wanted to make sure that I wasn't fatally injured. I tried to tell her it was nothing, but she nags and nags, but don't tell her I told you that or she'd take my broom away for _forever._

"Here, I talked to Dobby since he's the one that takes care of the pond and feeds the fish and he gave me some worms for you to have for dinner. I hope you like them." Draco laid down two dishes, one with water and the other with small wiggling worms. Those weren't important right now, though he was hungry, and Harry walked toward Draco. He looked at the boy for a while, really studied him, trying to figure out why he would be apologizing for something he didn't do. Then Harry remembered that Draco had approached _him_ the day they had met.

Maybe... maybe Draco wanted a friend as much as Harry did?

Mind made up, Harry wriggled about a moment, trying to figure out how he would- wait, he got it now. Harry walked toward Draco and put his front paws on his leg, then let himself fall backward and exposed his soft and quill-less belly. Once Draco realized what Harry meant him to do he slowly reached out and stroked his fur.

Oh man, this is so much better than blueberries! Harry thought happily and he lied there under Draco's petting until his stomach growled for dinner. He rolled over, careful of fingers and made his way back toward the dishes.

"Hm, you know? I think you need a name. How about... Oh! I'll name you Corvus. It's a constellation. I'm named after the Dragon and you're named after the Crow! It's perfect!"

Harry ate his dinner and happily listened to Draco tell a fanciful tale of the two constellations' friendship.

TBC


End file.
